Your Firm’s Web Page Stinks!

A World Class Web Page Includes These Great Web Features (Listed by Category): Over-all features:

1. Meets each of the goals set by the firm
2. It attracts quality applicants
3. Prioritizes jobs and shifts web resources toward those key jobs

   Attracts “active” job seekers by being an “answer guy/ learning” site (Attracts employed top performers by):

4. Giving them information about industry events
5. Informing them about “hot” issues, best practices, benchmarking data and solutions
6. On-line training
7. It helps them do their current job better
8. Information about “people” in the industry
9. Industry publication abstracts and table of contents
10. Gives non-job seekers an easy “excuse” to visit
11. It provides salary surveys
12. It offers career advice
13. It offers opportunities to get a mentor
14. Glossary of key industry terms and buzz words
15. It helps me improve myself off the job as a person

    Two way information flow with instant feedback to the Visitor:

16. Custom information is provided just as the visitor provides initial information about their skills, experience and needs
17. Provides instant feedback on the closeness of the potential “fit” to encourage the visitor to stay on the site (pre-programmed)
18. Includes a feature that gets passives to answer the “I’ve always wanted to” question in order to capture names and aspirations
19. Screens change automatically as more is “learned” about the visitor
20. It offers multi-media choices so that a range of viewing options is available to the visitor (video, graphics, text, etc.)

    It is “the talked about” site:

21. It is written about in major publications
22. It is talked about as being distinctive by professionals in our industry
23. Others told me it’s a WOW to visit
24. Ranked by leading web page assessors
25. It has talked about features so the word spreads that this is a “must see site”. Non-job seekers will visit just to see the WOW’s
26. It has humor elements to attract visitors
27. It has technology features that cause people to visit just to see how they work

    It is responsive to your individual job needs (mass personalized):

28. Market research is done initially to identify the needs and expectations of our targeted candidates
29. It knows (asks me) what I want in a job (My job and company selection criteria)…and it tells me specifically about those things
30. It provides job related information in the order that visitors want to see it
31. Identifies your “job switch” criteria
32. Asks me about “my dream job” and tells me which of those features I might actually get
33. Identifies qualified candidates early and treats them differently depending on info received
34. Keeping top applicants informed about their progress in the selection/interview process through a password protected web site
35. Identifies the factors that trigger their initial visit
36. It mentions affinity groups, sports leagues and other quality of work life features (video and list of events)

    It helps the visitor to get to know the company and it’s culture (realistic cultural preview):

37. A virtual tour of the facilities
38. Includes an interview with the CEO
39. Includes employee comments on what they like about the firm and why they work there
40. Includes values, vision and mission statements
41. A day in the life of an employee (virtual day)
42. Profiles of the key products, suppliers, partners and key customers
43. Videos illustrating our culture and values
44. Includes a cultural “fit” assessment tool so they can see if there is a match
45. It includes a list of industry and best places to work awards the firm has won
46. Includes summaries or copies of articles that mention the firm or our key employees
47. Highlights our firm’s great place to work features
48. Includes diversity information and elements
49. A list of WOW benefits and things to talk about
50. Descriptions of the surrounding communities (schools, recreation, etc)

    It helps the visitor get to know your manager/team:

51. Profiles of typical managers so I can find out if the firm’s management style fits my interests and background)
52. Videos/text of speeches by top officers
53. Profiles of key team members with video clips. Or write ups similar to sports stars on “baseball cards”
54. An opportunity to e-mail my potential manager
55. Comments workers have about the firms management style

    It helps you know your job and excites you about it:

56. WOW job descriptions. Profiles of the exciting projects, equipment, challenging environment, learning and growth opportunities applicants may have (with video clips ) as an addition to the traditional job descriptions that will be enhanced to “sell” the job rather than just describe it
57. It shows me that my job “will make a difference”
58. It knows (asks me) what I dislike about my current (last) job/company…and it tells me specifically about those things
59. Exciting project profiles that tell applicants what they might be working on

    It shows them that “people like me” work there:

60. When I’m finished visiting the site I feel like the firm is “just like me”
61. A “people like me already work here” feature that will allow you to search to see if people with similar backgrounds, interests and education work at the firm
62. It gives different “segments” of the working population their own sub-page (MBA’s, Working mothers, Diversity groups, senior execs)

    The site is fun to visit (WOW’s):

63. If has a WOW feature in the first 30 seconds and another one at least every minute
64. Has a humorous or funny element
65. Offers prizes/rewards/contests as an incentive
66. It uses market research to identify what features visitors think are superior

    Discourages the non-qualified:

67. Give an accurate job preview to allow the non-qualified to self-select out
68. Quick/instant skill assessment features tell potential applicants whether they are in the ballpark

    Makes applying easy:

69. It unobtrusively gathers information about you (mini application)
70. Allows for on-line web interviewing
71. Doesn’t require a current resume to apply. Allows quick profiles of candidates with minimal need for asking them “too many” questions
72. Allows “cut and paste” resume submissions
73. Has resume “builder” features
74. Allows the candidate to submit a “web site portfolio” link in lieu of a resume

    It has (self) assessment tools:

75. Allows on-line early assessment of skills/fit (Games, Tests, Find the problem, Contests)
76. It has interest assessment and job matching features
77. Allows for fun self assessment of your skill level even if you don’t apply for a job (with instant feedback)
78. On-line simulations/ video games to assess your technical skills

    Question & Answer features:

79. Has a Q & A e-mail feature
80. It offers a telephone link (or call back feature) to qualified candidates
81. It has commonly asked questions and answers on-line
82. Questions and call backs are responded to within 24 hours

    Measures visitor satisfaction:

83. Asks applicants/visitor how they were treated
84. Asks what they want “more of/less of”

    Become a “friend” of xyz company to allow us to build a long term relationship:

85. It builds up my trust so that I want a continuing relationship with the firm
86. How am I doing website that allows a candidate to see where they are (and how they are doing) in the screening process
87. It has features to cause visitors not currently in a job search mode to think that “someday you will work here”
88. Uses permission marketing to allow us to continually “push” information to the applicant
89. An electronic monthly newsletter is pushed to build a “friends of XYZ” relationship
90. Pushes customizes info to them (about the firm, its products and open jobs)
91. Captures names for our “who’s who”
92. It gets “permission” from the visitor to continue the relationship
93. It “pushes” jobs to people
94. It “pushes” customized information to people
95. Builds a continuous relationship with the person
96. Keeping top applicants informed about their progress in the selection/interview process through a password protected web site

    Global:

97. Has multi-lingual capabilities
98. It meets all privacy requirements
99. Has separate sub-pages for each country

    It continually measures and improves:

100. Metrics ties into performance data for the quality of hire
101. Systems are continually tested (and timed) with outside assessment, mystery shoppers
102. Tracks coming the web site you came from/and went to
103. Loads fast and requires minimum “click throughs”
104. Is continually re-assessed and “audited” to test to see if it is continually improving

     Web technology features:

105. Has a search feature to identify “my job” even if I don’t know its title at your firm
106. Allowing the candidate to create an anonymous e-mail address in order to receive “push” job positions
107. On line pre-qualifying for positions. By pre-qualifying applicants (sometimes without their knowledge) so that you can treat them “special” and speed up their hiring cycle
108. Send an electronic card feature (birthday)
109. Miscellaneous
110. It’s easy to scan, load
111. It is updated weekly
112. Uses the latest technology (video)
113. It also can help to sell our products and build customer relationships so they should be coordinated with and linked with product sites